


The New Bookshelf

by EliseW



Category: The Tunnel (TV)
Genre: F/F, Screenplay/Script Format, Spoilers for Season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-09-27
Packaged: 2018-07-15 05:37:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7210148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EliseW/pseuds/EliseW
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Élise needs a new bookshelf and Karl finds out why...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The New Bookshelf

**Author's Note:**

> These are scenes that you can imagine to be part of Season 3, being surrounded by a wonderfully complicated case with international entanglements of course.
> 
> It’s basically the same content as [Waiting](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7401211), but in a different format and from a different perspective.
> 
> There is a sequel to this story: "Everything's Easier to Handle When It's Sugar-Coated". If you like this story, you might like that one as well.

**STREET IN FRONT OF ÉLISE’S HOUSE**

_Karl gets out of his car. He walks to Élise’s door and rings the doorbell._

 

ÉLISE _(through the intercom)_ : I’m not ready, yet. You want to come up?

 

_The door hums. Karl gets in._

 

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

_A knock on the door. Élise walks over and opens it._

_Karl gets in._

 

KARL: Hi!

 

ÉLISE: Hi, I’m ready soon.

 

_She hurries over to her couch and hurriedly unpacks a few clothes (extra underwear, a jumper...) from her backpack that's lying on the couch. She puts the jumper back into the backpack._

_Karl slowly walks into her flat. He looks around._

 

KARL: You got a new bookshelf?

 

_He points at an additional bookshelf that wasn’t there before._

_Élise walks over to her bed and throws the rest of the clothes she got out of the backpack into a laundry basket at the foot of her bed._

 

ÉLISE: Yes,...

 

_Karl takes a closer look at the new shelf._

 

Cut to:

**A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BOOK SHELF**

_The upper two shelves are almost full already. Karl looks at some the titles on the spines of the books. A very diverse collection of books of various genres and time periods in French as well as in English. Two thin volumes with a German title and the additional caption: Easy Readers Collection, simplified and shortened, Intermediate Level._

 

Cut back to:

**ÉLISE’S LIVING ROOM**

 

ÉLISE (cont’d): I got quite a few new books lately…

 

_She gets a water bottle from the kitchen, walks back over to the couch and puts the bottle into her backpack. She carries her backpack over to her nightstand. There are three books on it, one lying open with the spine up. She takes that one and puts a slip of paper between the pages as a bookmark._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d): ...and I think there are more to come, so I thought I’d need some more space for them on the long run.

 

_She puts the book into her backpack and closes the zipper._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d): Ready to go?

 

KARL: Yeah…

 

_He casts another glance at the new bookshelf and then an inquiring look at Élise._

_It remains unclear if he just has the odd feeling that something is up, but can’t quite put the finger on what it is, or if he has a strong suspicion of what’s going on, but is aware that it’s better, if he doesn’t know for sure._

_Élise doesn’t seem to realise his look._

_She holds the door open for him. He gets out. She walks out behind him and closes the door behind herself._


	2. Karl Is Quite the Detective

**AN OFFICE AT THE CALAIS POLICE STATION**

 

_An open space office with several desks. In the background some glass walls separating the superiors’ workplaces from the rest of the office._

_Karl and Philippe are sitting in front of a computer together. Phillippe is filling in Karl on something about the case he is supposed to work on with them._

 

PHILLIPPE: We questioned the guy a few weeks ago. He already seemed a little fishy to me back then, even though I still can't quite put the finger on why.

 

KARL: What was Élise’s impression of him during that interview? Did she also feel that something was weird?

 

PHILLIPPE: I did the interview with Louise, Élise was on vacation at that time.

 

KARL _(surprised)_ : Vacation…? Élise?

 

PHILIPPE _(grinning)_ : Yeah, right? And it seems nobody even had to remind her, that she has to take her vacation days…  Maybe she has finally gotten herself a hobby, who knows...

 

_He takes his jacket._

 

PHILIPPE (cont’d): I’ve got to go. You can go through the files. If you’ve got any more questions, Élise can't help you with, you know where to find me.

 

KARL: Yeah, thanks…

 

_Philippe leaves._

_For a moment Karl casts a musing look at the glass office with the sign “Commandant Elise Wassermann” at the door. Élise is vaguely visible through the glass wall, staring concentratedly at her computer screen._

_Karl reluctantly gets back to business and takes a file from the desk and starts reading._

 

Later:

 

**ÉLISE’S OFFICE**

 

_Élise is sitting at her desk. Concentratedly reading something on her screen. The book she packed in the morning is lying on her desk. The door is slightly ajar. Karl comes in with a coffeemug in his hand._

 

KARL: Hi!

 

ÉLISE _(distractedly, still staring at the screen)_ : Hi…

 

_Karl leans casually against her desk and takes up[the book](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Momo-Puffin-Books-Michael-Ende/dp/0140317538/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473101268&sr=8-1&keywords=Momo). _

_He slurps his coffee while he reads the information on the book's backside. He holds up the book to her._

 

KARL _(small talk tone)_ : Any good…?

 

ÉLISE _(still staring at the screen)_ : I haven't gotten very far yet.

 

KARL _(small talk tone)_ : Philippe mentioned that you took some vacation days a few weeks ago.

 

ÉLISE _(unapproachably)_ : I’m obligated to take vacation…

 

KARL: He mentioned that you took them without someone pointing out to you that you’re obligated to do so. He joked that you must have gotten a hobby as of late,...

 

_Élise looks up at him for a second, looking like she wants to talk to him. Then deciding it's too risky, shutting herself off again.  
_

 

ÉLISE _(staring at the screen again)_ : So…?

 

KARL _(still small talk tone)_ : What did you do on your holidays?

 

ÉLISE _(shrugging her shoulders, still staring at the screen)_ : Nothing special…

 

KARL: And now again you just returned from an overnight stay... Late last night probably…

 

ÉLISE _(still trying to act casually but not quite succeeding anymore)_ : Why would you think that?

 

KARL: You had to unpack your backpack this morning before you packed your stuff for today. It was obviously dirty laundry you brought back after a trip.

 

ÉLISE _(unapproachably)_ : You're quite the detective, aren’t you…?

 

KARL: Yes, I am… Where did you go…?

 

ÉLISE _(looking at him now, trying to sound annoyed, but obviously starting to get nervous)_ : Is this an interrogation?

 

KARL: Would there be the necessity for that?

 

ÉLISE _(coldly, staring at the screen again, she starts typing)_ : No...!

 

_Karl looks at her musingly, thinking whether he should pressure her any further but finally deciding against it. He puts the book down on her desk again._

 

KARL: Well, I read through the files. There are still some things that I’d like to go over with you, when you’ve got the time…

 

ÉLISE _(still not looking at him, still typing)_ : I’ll be with you, when I’m finished here.

 

_Karl again glances at her worriedly, then gets up to leave. In the door he stops and turns around again._

 

KARL: I’m your best friend, Élise! You still remember that, do you?

 

_Élise looks up at him. She nods._

 

ÉLISE: Yes, I do.

_Karl nods back at her and leaves her office, getting back to his desk.  
Élise looks after him._


	3. Köln Hauptbahnhof

About two weeks later:

 

KARL’S LIVINGROOM

 

_Karl is sitting on his couch, wearing his reading glasses. The coffee table in front of him is covered in papers. One file is in his hand and he’s reading. He frowns, seems to have found something interesting._

_He hastily takes his phone from the coffee table and dials._

 

ÉLISE _(through the phone_ ): Hi, Karl…?

 

KARL: Hi! I found something… We need to check where Marc Giraud lived in 1996. Could you look that up?

 

ÉLISE _(through the phone):_ I’m not at the office...

 

KARL: OK, could you do it, when you get back? It’s...

 

ÉLISE: I’m not getting back. I clocked off already.

 

_Karl looks at his watch surprisedly._

 

KARL: It’s only 5 pm...

 

ÉLISE: I had some overtime due.

 

KARL _(confused)_ : You’ve always got overtime due!! You never take time off for that... When you’re on an important case, you usually have to be forced to go home at all!

 

ÉLISE: I’ve learned to delegate...

 

KARL: No, you haven’t!! ( _Pause, when Élise doesn’t answer to that, he continues:)_ Can you check it tomorrow?

 

ÉLISE: I’ve got my day off tomorrow…

 

_Karl stares at the phone like he’s wondering, if he is really talking to Élise or if she might have been replaced by an alien._

 

KARL: Ok… Could you just get to the office shortly to check for me…

 

ÈLISE: No, that… _(She hesitates.) ..._ won’t be possible. Call Phillippe or Louise! They’re probably even still at work now.

 

KARL _(confused)_ : Ok…

 

_Through the phone we hear a loudspeaker announcement in the background. Karl looks even more confused._

 

CUT TO:

 

ÉLISE IN HER JACKET AND A SCARF. _Her hair blowing in the draught. Backpack on her back. She’s obviously not at home, but we don’t get the full picture of where she is. In the background a showcase with a yellow poster densely covered with writing and numbers in columns._

 

LOUDSPEAKER: Auf Gleis 4 fährt ein der ICE… (Subtitles: On platform 4 the ICE from…)

 

_Élise looks up at the loudspeaker realising that Karl might hear this as well._

 

ÉLISE _(loudly, talking over the voice from the loudspeaker)_ : I hope Louise or Phillippe can help you with your inquiries! I’m looking forward to hear what you found out!

 

CUT BACK TO:

 

KARL’S LIVING ROOM

 

_Karl looks not confused but downright suspicious now._

 

KARL _(hesitating)_ : I’ll keep you posted! _(perking up his eyebrows, ironically)_ Auf Wiedersehen!

 

_He hangs up. He frowns musingly, even worried._

 

KARL _(mumbling)_ : What the hell, Élise…!?

 

CUT BACK TO:

 

A PLATFORM ON A BUSY TRAIN STATION

 

 _This time we get the full picture. The poster behind Élise is a railway schedule. Above it a big sign:_ Köln Hbf (Subtitles: Cologne Central Station)

_Élise slowly puts her hand holding the phone down, realising that Karl even recognised the language of the announcement._

_Then she apparently decides to deal with this problem later. A train comes in._

_She puts the phone away and puts her hands in the pockets of her jacket. People get off the train. She starts smiling slightly, when she spots the person she’s waiting for._

_Eryka spots Élise as well and starts smiling as well when she walks towards her._

_She stops at a distance of about two meters from Élise. Élise still has her hands in her pockets, Eryka holds the handle of her trolley case. They’re not getting closer or reaching out to hug each other. They’re just standing face-to-face and smile at each other, almost shyly at first._

 

ÉLISE: Hello!

 

ERYKA: Hi!

 

_For a second Élise looks up and takes in their surrounding then looks back at Eryka, their smiles turning conspiratorial now. This containment is not about avoiding negative attention as a same-sex couple but about avoiding any attention at all. These meetings are a secret and aren’t supposed to happen and as much as that might complicate things, in a way it’s also exciting._

_Élise points her head towards the stairs._

 

ÉLISE: We should get going! I’m double-parked.

 

_She starts to walk towards the stairs. Eryka follows a few steps behind her. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t even guess that they aren’t just two strangers who happen to walk in the same direction._


	4. Busted!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, tell me what you think!

Two Days later:

 

**EUROTUNNEL SHUTTLE TERMINAL IN COQUELLES**

 

_Élise’s car is standing in a line, waiting to board the train. Élise in the driver seat, Karl in the passenger seat._

_The atmosphere seems pretty awkward. Élise stares out of the front window, avoiding to look at Karl._

_There is still a phone call Karl might bring up at some point, that she doesn’t want to talk about..._

 

_An employee of the Eurotunnel company waves at them. It's their turn to board. Élise starts the car._

 

Some time later:

**EUROTUNNEL SHUTTLE TRAIN, INSIDE ELISE’S CAR**

 

_We hear the regular background noise of the train. Élise has her head leaned against the car window, asleep. Karl seems bored._

 

_The train rumbles. A book, that had been tucked behind the sunshield above the driver’s seat, falls down and hits Élise at the temple. She wakes up, disoriented._

 

KARL: You seem pretty tired…

 

_Karl picks up the book that's lying on the centre console now[and takes a look at it.](https://www.amazon.fr/Madame-Thomas-Mann-Katharina-Pringsheim/dp/2877113078/ref=sr_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469566302&sr=1-18)_

_When he turns it around to read the information at the back, a sheet of paper that has been used as a bookmark falls out into his lap._

_He takes the paper from his lap and takes a look at it. He looks over at Élise who still seems a little confused from having woken up so suddenly._

 

KARL _(teasingly)_ : Didn't get much sleep the last two nights, eh?

 

ÉLISE: Yes… _(Realising that what she did the last two nights is nothing Karl is supposed to know something about)_ Maybe…

 

_Karl holds up the book._

 

KARL: Sounds interesting…

 

ÉLISE: I’d offer you to borrow it, but considering your French I don't think you’d get much further than the summary on the back.

 

KARL _(ignoring the hint about his limited language abilities)_ : Maybe it has also been translated to English?

 

ÉLISE _(curtly)_ : No, it hasn't…

 

_Karl looks at her for a few seconds, pondering if he should really get to what he’s about to approach._

 

KARL: I remember the last time when you started to read a lot of books...

 

ÉLISE: I always read a lot of books…

 

KARL: But you didn't always carry a book around with you, using every break of just a minute to read a few sentences...

It seems to me like it's about more than just the reading. Do you need to have it with you, because it makes you feel close to the person that gave it to you...?

 

_Élise looks up at him startledly. She obviously got busted._

 

KARL: How was Cologne?

 

ÉLISE _(surprised)_ : Cologne?

 

_Karl holds up the sheet of paper he found in the book._

_At the top there is a coat of arms with “Stadt Köln” written below it. Below it a list with several items in German, one is ticked off:_

Parken unter Behinderung des fließenden Verkehrs

(Subtitles: Parking while obstructing the moving traffic)

_Some blanks are filled in. It's Élise’s license plate and the date of the day before yesterday._

 

_Élise hastily rips the paper from his hand and stuffs it into the compartment in her car door like she could make Karl unsee it retrospectively by that action._

 

KARL: You didn't tell me why you couldn't drive to the police station just quickly when we spoke on the phone that afternoon.

 

ÉLISE _(defensively)_ : You didn't ask…

 

KARL: It would have been an easy explanation, though, wouldn't it? ‘I can't go to the office to look it up for you, because I’m in Germany right now.’ Why didn't you want me to know?

 

_Élise looks at him helplessly._

 

KARL _(calmly)_ : Are you seeing Eryka Klein again?

 

_They look at each other without anybody saying anything. Finally the silence becomes too long for Élise to still lie believably._

 

ÉLISE: Yes…

 

_She looks at Karl stubbornly without breaking eye contact._

 

_Karl strokes both hands through his face._

 

KARL: Élise…

 

ÉLISE _(snappy)_ : As far as the official French and British police files are concerned she was never more than the next of kin of one of the victims of a plane crash we were investigating. So what’s your problem?

 

KARL: Élise… We both know what's not in the official files, don't we? And you're certainly aware that many others do as well or why do you feel the necessity to meet in secret?

 

ÉLISE _(defiantly)_ : Do you want to report me?

 

KARL: You don't honestly believe that that's what this is about, do you?

 

ÉLISE _(calming down a little)_ : No, of course not… I'm sorry…

 

KARL: I don't fucking care, if it it could be considered a malfeasance, that you have an intimate relationship with someone who should basically be in prison for terrorism.

But I do care about you! I don't want you to get hurt again and I'm really worried about your safety!

 

ÉLISE: My safety…?

 

KARL: She MURDERED her previous lover!

 

ÉLISE: Bresson wasn’t her lover. He was her assignment. I’M NOT!

 

_Karl hesitates. He doesn't want to ruin this for her, but he can't let her walk right into a trap either._

 

KARL: Are you sure about that…? I hope so much that I'm wrong about this, Élise, I really do, but how do you know, she's not lying again!? Are you sure she doesn't just meet you for something you work on? To get information?

 

ÉLISE (softly, quietly): It was never about that, Karl. She never lied to me about what she felt for me. She lied about what she had done, about the things that were part of her job. But she never lied about us.

She has to trust me as much as I have to trust her. I could just as well have set her up for the police or the secret service. Even if I don't knowingly betray her, I could still just mess up one day and God-knows-who-else-is-out-there-to-get-her could find her by following me...

She actually risks a lot more by meeting me than I do by meeting her.

 

KARL: So she's still doing… What she used to be doing?

 

ELISE: Yes...

 

_Karl rubs his face with his hands._

 

KARL: Élise, what the hell made you get yourself into this again?

 

ÉLISE: You, actually…

 

KARL _(flabbergasted)_ : Me…?!

 

ÉLISE: Do you remember my… ( _hesitatingly_ ) the incident last January…?

 

KARL _(lifting his eyebrows)_ : Well, how could I forget…

 

Flashback to: Last January

  
tbc


	5. The Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merci beaucoup to eclectick for help with the French! All mistakes are still mine, though, of course!
> 
> Please let me know, what you think!

Flashback to last January

**ELISE’S FLAT, EVENING**

 

_Élise sits alone at her table just finishing her dinner (the usual…). After she has eaten the last bite, she sits there for some time staring into space. The flat is empty and silent._

_She gets up very abruptly, takes her jacket and car keys and leaves._

 

**INSIDE A CLUB**

 

_People laughing, talking loudly over loud music. People dancing. Élise cuts her way through the crowd. She is not dressed-up and doesn’t wear makeup like the people around her. She doesn’t move with the rhythm of the music. She seems oddly out of place here._

_She shoves aside a few people to get into the first row at the bar. She waves to the bar tender._

 

ÉLISE: Un coca, s’il vous plaît!

 

_She gets her coke. Determinedly she starts to scan the other people standing at the bar while slowly sipping from her glass. Across from her she spots a good looking guy, holding a bottle of beer, who also seems to be here without company. She observes him appraisingly, looking pretty content with her choice. She takes her glass, leaves her place at the bar and starts to target-orientedly elbow her way towards the guy. After a few steps she starts to get slower and slower, getting insecure, starting to frown. She finally stops. The crowd around her is still moving to the music, laughing and talking, while she stands in the middle of it rooted to the spot, holding her glass, looking confused and tensed._

 

_A little later:_

**STILL AT THE CLUB**

 

_Élise sits on a stool at the bar, she looks unhappy and strained. She sips of her coke. Her eyes catch the guy who she looked at before and realises that he looks at her as well. He raises his bottle to her and smiles. She looks away quickly. She inhales deeply, trying to calm herself down._

_She waves at the barkeeper, although her coke is only half empty._

 

ELISE: Un gin, s’il vous plaît, un grand...

 

Later:

  **SOMEWHERE IN THE BACK OF THE CLUB**

 

_In the background we see a sign pointing out the toilets. Élise is on her way there, staggering, supporting herself at the wall. She apparently waved at the barkeeper a couple of more times..._

_In a corner a guy is pressing a woman against the wall, groping her. None of the people walking by pay attention to that._

 

WOMAN: Lâche-moi! (Subtitles: Let me go!)

 

GUY ( _slurring_ ): Allez, fais pas ta timide! (Subtitles: Come on, don’t be so shy!)

 

_Élise turns towards them, looking furious. She has to concentrate really hard to focus._

 

ÉLISE (s _lurring slightly as well_ ): Foutez-lui la paix! (Subtitles: Leave her alone!)

 

GUY: Occupe-toi de tes fesses, salope! (Subtitles: Mind you own buisness, bitch!)

 

_Élise looks even more furious, inhales deeply and raises her fist. We hear an impressive THUD and the screen turns black._

 

_Cut to:_

**THE STREET IN FRONT OF A FRENCH POLICE STATION**

 

_It's early morning, still almost dark. Karl's estate car stops in front of the police station with squealing tyres._

_Karl jumps out of the car and rushes up the stairs in front of the entrance._

 

Cut to:

**A CORRIDOR AT THE POLICE STATION**

 

_A French uniformed police officer and Karl walk through the corridor, several doors to the left and to the right._

 

POLICE OFFICER _(heavily French accented_ ): The guy was stronger than her of course, but considering her blood alcohol the bouncer said her technique was pretty impressive.

 

_He opens a door at the end of the corridor._

 

_Cut to:_

**AN INTERROGATION ROOM**

 

_No windows, a table and a few chairs. Élise sits or rather hangs on one of the chairs._

_Her head has dropped to her chest. She seems half asleep._

_Karl and the French police officer come in through the door._

 

_Karl nods towards the officer._

 

KARL: Merci!

 

_The officer nods and leaves, closing the door._

 

_Karl draws a chair over to Élise to sit closely in front of her. She looks up at him, embarrassed. There is a rest of dried blood under her nose, a laceration on her cheekbone that has been taped and some more scratches on her face. She looks terribly hungover._

 

KARL _(calmly)_ : A bar fight, Élise? Seriously?

 

ÉLISE _(swallowing several times in between, trying to keep herself from throwing up)_ : He had it coming…

 

KARL: I’m sure he did…

 

_He gets up and reaches out to help her. She staggers when she gets up. Karl's supports her to walk to the door._

 

KARL (cont’d): Please, don't puke in my car!

 

**EXTERIOR SHOT OF ÉLISE’S HOUSE**

 

_Morning, daylight by now._

 

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Karl sits in a chair at Élise’s table. The door to the bathroom is open. From the sound of it Élise is inside throwing up. Karl rubs his face with his hands._

 

Later:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Karl sits in a chair close to Élise’s bed. She lies on her side. Her back turned towards Karl._

 

KARL _(quietly)_ : I called you in sick…

 

ÉLISE _(without turning towards him)_ : Thank you…

 

KARL: I’ll ring up Olivier tonight. I think he can keep this out of your file...

 

ÉLISE _(still without turning towards him)_ : Thanks…

 

_For some time nobody says anything. Finally Élise turns around, still lying on her side but facing Karl now. She has cleaned up a little. The blood under her nose is gone but she still looks terrible. The taped laceration is hidden behind an ice pack she is holding to her face._

 

ÉLISE: I wanted to find someone to sleep with like I used to do. I really thought everything was like before by now...

 

KARL: But it wasn't…

 

ÉLISE: No… _(after a pause)_ Now that I have gotten to know what it’s like with someone, whom I… With her… It seemed so fucking pointless! _(pause)_

Aside from the fact that I didn't even know whether I wanted to find a man or a woman…

But that doesn't even matter at all, because I don't want anyone… But her!

 

_Karl helplessly takes her hand in his._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d): Why do people keep insisting that falling in love is a good thing?

 

KARL: Because it usually is…

 

ÉLISE ( _angrily_ ): No, it's not! It's a drug! It literally is! You brain gets flooded with hormones that alter your perception and judgment. Those substances make you pliable. They make you trust people even when you should be on your guard. How is that supposed to be a good thing?

 

KARL ( _calmly, still holding her hand):_ It has to be. Otherwise it wouldn't exist, would it? Evolution erases everything that decreases and keeps everything that increases our chance of survival. So falling in love must somehow increase our chance of survival otherwise that part of our brain physiology would have been erased by now.

I believe close attachments are crucial to our survival because they keep us safe and sane and happy. But getting into those is obviously scary, because you need to trust people more than would seem rationally advisable.

So maybe evolution provided us with some chemicals to dare to do just that, by making us fall in love now and again.

 _(After a pause)_ God knows, you're one to need help with forming attachments...

 

_Élise snorts._

 

ÉLISE _(ironically)_ : And how are you supposed to know when those chemicals help you to form a close attachment that keeps you safe and sane and happy and when they make you take stupid decisions?!

 

_Karl helplessly shrugs his shoulders._

_They sit in silence together for some time. Finally:_

 

KARL: I need to get back to England, Élise. My shift started two hours ago…

 

_Élise starts to sit up._

 

KARL (cont'd): You stay where you are. I’ll find the door on my own.

Drink a lot! _(He points to a big glass of water on her nightstand.)_ Try with some white bread later today… _(He claps her hand.)_ You're probably the only person who didn't need these instructions until the age of 34…

 

_Karl gets up._

 

ÉLISE: Thanks… For everything...

 

_Karl nods and starts to walk towards the door._

 

_Later:_

**ELISE’S FLAT**

 

_Élise sits at her table. She looks a little better. The same lonely and empty atmosphere as the evening before, just the food is even drearier than yesterday: A dry toast and a glass of water in front of her._

_She gets up very abruptly and walks over to the big bookshelf in her livingroom. She takes one of the big file folders out of the uppermost compartment. She gets up on the tip of her toes and takes out three books that have been hidden from plain sight behind the folder. She puts the folder back and looks at the books in her hand: Deux pour une, On the Eve and Collected Poems of Pablo Neruda. On the Eve is on the top. She touches the cover of the book almost caressingly. She’s got tears in her eyes. She looks up from the book, over to her bed._

 

The picture gets blurry and slowly fades over to:

 

**ERYKA’S FACE**

 

Echoing sound, like from a distance:

ERYKA (softly, whispering): Élise…

 

Normal sound now:

ERYKA (cont’d, still whispering): Élise…

 

Cut to the broader angle:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT, HER BED**

 

_Eryka is on the right side of the bed that's closer to the wall, propped up on her elbow, caressing Élise’s face._

_Élise is on the left side of the bed, facing Eryka._

_They're together under one blanket, covered adequately even for US-American primetime free TV but considering their bare shoulders, we can safely assume that no one bothered to get dressed after last night’s activities._

_Élise blinks, waking up. She seems a little disoriented. When she becomes aware of Eryka, she smiles slightly, pretty insecurely, though. She doesn't have any experience in waking up at someone's side after the first night together._

_Eryka realises Élise’s insecurity._

 

ERYKA _(brushing a strand of hair from Élise’s face)_ : Are you alright?

 

ÉLISE: Yes… _(smiling back at her, a little less shy now)_ Yes...

 

ERYKA _(softly)_ : I need to get going. I need to get home to change before I get to work and I still need to pack for my trip tonight. I had planned to do that last night... ( _She smiles at Élise._ ) but that kind of didn't work out...

 

_Élise smiles back at her without any hesitancy now. Eryka closes the distance between their lips and kisses her. Élise deepens the kiss. It takes some time before they stop to catch their breath._

 

ERYKA ( _whispering)_ : I'm very glad I skipped packing last night!

 

_ÉLISE: Me, too!_

 

_She reaches up, running her fingers through Eryka's hair._

 

ÉLISE: I have to go to England again today. I’ll read your book in the Tunnel.

 

ERYKA: You’ll have to tell me what you think of it, when I come back.

 

_It's obvious, even for Élise, that this night was different from the one-night stands she's used to, but until this moment it was not that obvious to her how this is supposed to continue or how Eryka might expect this to continue._

 

ÉLISE: So you WILL come back here after all?

 

ERYKA _(frowning)_ : Yes, of course! I’ve got something to come back for now! _(Confused, a little insecure.)_ Don't I?

 

ÉLISE ( _firmly)_ : Yes, of course you have!

 

_They smile at each other. This time Élise initiates a kiss by pulling Eryka down towards her. The kiss soon gets very intense._

_The screen fades to black. It's safe to assume they'll both have to hurry, when they’ll finally get up..._

 

Cut back to January:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Élise is still standing in front of her bookshelf holding the books she got from Eryka. Instead of sad she looks determined now. She puts the books into the bookshelf again, clearly visible this time in a compartment in the middle._

_She sits down on her bed and takes her phone from her nightstand._

 

Cut to:

**THE DISPLAY OF ÉLISE’S PHONE**

 

_She opens her text messages. The list of her contacts (sorted by how recently she has been texting with the person in question) starts with her colleagues she texted with about work related stuff._

_Fourth in the row is Karl. Pretty far down we get to read:_ Klein, Eryka

 

_Élise hesitates for a moment, before she finally opens the list. She breathes slowly, like she needs to calm herself down, while she scrolls up to the first message she ever got from Eryka after the hostage situation at the police station._

_She slowly scrolls  through all the messages, that are mirroring the development of their relationship and Élise opening up to it: Not answering to the first one at all, then slowly progressing from short, factual texts to a little more emotional messages until their almost flirtatious exchange after their first night together. Getting more reserved and then not answering at all anymore when Eryka became a serious suspect again and Élise finally made the discovery that changed everything._

 

**13/5/15**

0 h 09 Saw the news. Are you ok? Eryka Klein

 

**15/5/15**

**10 h 23 Le (Something), Rue de (What-ever) 210, Dunkirk, tonight, 8 pm**

 

**16/5/15**

00 h 35 Thanks for the evening! Hope you got home alright? Eryka

 

 **6 h 53** **Got home alright. Thanks as well. Élise**

 

**17 h 07 If I had known what the interrogation would stir up for you, I'd never have agreed to it! I'm so sorry! Élise**

 

19 h 23 It wasn't your fault. You didn't know.

 

**19/5/15**

8 h 06 Miss you already. :-* Eryka

 

 **8 h 24** **Miss you, too! I’m reading Turgenev... Élise**

 

8 h 45 What do you think so far?

 

**8 h 59 Good! Little complex to discuss the details in text messages. You need to come back soon! Élise**

 

10 h 04 I will!

 

14 h 27 Maybe I can cut this short. I’ll try to come back earlier!

 

**15 h 45 That’s great!**

 

23 h 24 Good night! Sleep well! :-*

 

**20/5/15**

**00 h 11** **You too.**

 

7h32 Good morning! Missed you tonight...

 

 **8 h 02** **Good morning to you, too.**

 

10 h 35 I got another book for you!

 

**5/6/15**

10 h 11 Read that you’ve been released from hospital without permanent damage. Best news I’ve gotten in quite a while...

 

**9/6/15**

21 h 48 I miss you, Élise! I can find ways how we can see each other. If you want to?

 

**11/6/15**

10 h 32 I guess you don't want to. I can't blame you. I'm very sorry! I wish you all the best! Eryka

 

_Élise’s hand is trembling slightly, when she starts typing. As matter of factly, target-oriented and straight to the point as we know her:_

 

**10/1/16**

**13 h 56 I'm still in love with you. I want to meet. Élise**

 

_Her thumb presses the send- button._

 

Cut to the broader angle:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT, HER BED**

 

_Élise is sitting on her bed, holding her phone, staring at the message she just send. After some time she lies down on her bed and stares at the ceiling. Her hand still clutching the phone lying on her chest. There is nothing to do but wait now._

 

Later:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_It has started to get dark outside. No lights switched on in the flat._

_Élise is lying on her bed, asleep. Still in her clothes, on top of her blanket. The phone still in her hand on her chest._

_Two beeps from a text message. The phone lightens up. Élise wakes up. She needs some time to realise what woke her._

_She takes up her phone. Her face is lit from the phone’s display. She stares at the display, her expression somewhere between disbelief, excitement and anxiety, while her thumb moves to open the message. Her expression turns into a frown first, then she starts to smile knowingly._


	6. I Don't Want to Meet Someone Else

Cut back to:

**EUROTUNNEL SHUTTLE TRAIN, INSIDE ÉLISE’S CAR**

 

_Karl and Élise are still sitting in the car like before._

 

KARL: I had hoped my reasoning concerning the purpose of love was rational enough to work on you… I did certainly not expect it to make you get back together with her again, though!

I just wanted you to not give up on love completely, in case you ever met someone else!

 

ÉLISE _(softly but determinedly)_ : I don't want to meet someone else.

 

KARL ( _softly)_ : I got that, Élise, I definitely did... ( _more firmly again)_ But you can hardly blame me for wanting to make sure that your feelings for her don't affect your judgment about how dangerous she is!

 

ÉLISE: They don't! I'm totally aware of how dangerous she is! _(She sounds almost proud of her scary girlfriend when she says that.)_ But she’s dangerous to her opponents! We're not opponents anymore. The case is closed.

 

KARL: God, Élise! Do you listen to yourself?! Let’s - just for a moment - assume that she’s not dangerous to YOU, specifically. What about… other people? You know, what she did! How can you be ok with that?

 

_It's obvious from Élise face, that she struggled a great deal with this._

 

ÉLISE: I'm not ok with it… I just…  Don't you have anything about Laura that you're not ok with? You're together with her anyway!

 

KARL: Having a horribly annoying sister is different from having killed over a hundred people! ( _Calmer, softly_ ) I don't want to blame you. I’m just trying to understand.

 

_Élise stares out of the front window thinking about how to explain this._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d, _softly_ ): What you said is true, you know: Even I do need close attachments and I do have enormous difficulties to form those. I’ve never fallen in love before... But then I did…

I need this… I need her!

 

_Karl watches her, while she still stares out of the window, the atmosphere of their conversation slowly changing from a police officer accusing his partner of sleeping with the enemy to Élise sharing things with her friend that she had never been able to talk about to anyone before because no one is allowed to know._

 

ÉLISE _(_ cont’d _, softly_ ): She had her reasons, why she joined her side.

( _bitterly_ ) She told me what they did to her, when she was a child, Karl - it was the first time, I think, she told anyone at all. Considering our job I didn’t think there was anything that could knock me over anymore, but… I can tell you: It’s a fucking difference if you read about stuff like that in some medical records in a casefile or if someone you… love… tells you about… what it’s actually like, when... ( _She stops talking.)_

 

_They sit in silence for some time._

 

KARL: I can’t even imagine...

 

ÉLISE: I still don’t approve of what she does, Karl. I still don’t understand all of her choices. Not from my perspective at least, but maybe a little from hers…

When we meet we’re not Commander Wassermann and... what ever she is now. We’re just us and that’s what makes this work. _(She looks at him intensely.)_ And we both really need this to work!

 

_Karl looks at her musingly for some time. Then he nods._

 

KARL: Actually, I don’t really need to be comfortable with this… You need to be…

 

ÉLISE: I am! Not with every single detail, maybe, but… I am!

 

KARL: You know... If this works for you... I’m really happy for you!

 

ÉLISE: Is this just about some social expectation? Is this what you're supposed to say, when you get to know that your friend got into a new relationship?

 

KARL: It IS what you're supposed to say, but I really mean it!

 

_Élise looks at him pondering for a moment. Then she nods._

 

ÉLISE: Thanks…!

 

KARL ( _smiling, taking up Élise’s book again_ ): She still gives you books...

 

ÉLISE: Yes, I give her some as well, actually, but I usually just borrow her mine. She mostly gets new ones for me, since I quite often can’t read hers because I need a translation...

 

KARL ( _chuckling_ ): How many language does she speak, exactly…?

 

ÉLISE _(smiling slightly)_ : I don’t know… And I think, I’m not even really supposed to know…

 

KARL: Ok… ( _He looks at her thoughtfully.)_ But do you know, what she…? What DO you know?

 

ÉLISE: Not much, actually…

 

KARL: Doesn’t that feel weird? I mean: She’s your girlfriend after all.

 

ÈLISE ( _matter of factly_ ): We decided it’s safer that way. For both of us. _(After a pause, trying out what it feels like to say it)_ ...my girlfriend…

 

KARL: Isn’t that what she is?

 

ÉLISE: Yes, I suppose she is… But I never talk about her to anyone, obviously, so I never thought about what to call her…

 

_She looks like she quite likes the idea, though._

 

KARL: How do you…? I mean… How does it work? To... date a spy?!

 

_Élise thinks about that for a moment._

 

ÉLISE: I really don’t think I should tell you that…

  


Again cut back to:

Flashback to: Last January

 

tbc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Please, let me know what you think!


	7. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things might get a little fluffy in the end of this chapter. But don’t we need that from time to time…?

Cut back to:

Flashback to last January:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Élise rushes over to her bookshelf, a sheet of paper, a pencil and her phone in her hand. She hastily gets the three books out of the bookshelf and sits down cross legged on the floor in the middle of her living room. The phone is lying in front of her, the display switched on._

 

**CLOSE-UP OF THE PHONE’S DISPLAY**

 

_It's a row of numbers, grouped in groups of three. At some point it changes to groups of four then goes back to groups of three._

_Something like this:_

 

26/17/6 76/21/7 14/1/1 _and so on…_

 

Back to the broader angle:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Élise starts to eagerly turn the pages of Deux pour Une. She runs her finger down the lines on the pages and along the words in the lines._

_We hear her counting in her head…._

 

_ÉLISE (voiceover, mumbling): Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, seize…_

 

_She scribbles down some notes on the sheet of paper. After some time she looks at what she has written, shakes her head and crosses it out. She takes the Neruda poems and starts over. Again running through pages, lines and words..._

 

_ÉLISE (voiceover, mumbling): ...neuf, dix, onze, douze, treize, quatorze…_

 

_...and scribbling on the paper. This time it seems to work, because she continues. Frowns at one point, but then goes on. Finally looking at what she has written._

 

**CLOSE-UP OF THE PAPER**

 

friday eight o’clock in the evening PARKING AREA service station WETTEREN at A ten direction BRUSSELS switch off your PHONE on the way confirm or suggest other date

 

Back to the broader angle:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Élise looks fascinated at what she has written for a moment._

_Then she turns a few pages in the Neruda book until she has found what she was searching for._

 

**CLOSE-UP OF THE PAGE OF THE BOOK**

 

_At the bottom we see the page number 31._

_Élise’s finger runs down the lines, finally stops at the 14th line and runs along the words of the line and stops under the 3rd word. It's the word “yes”._

 

Back to the broader angle:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_She takes up her phone..._

 

**CLOSE-UP OF ÉLISE’S PHONE**

 

 _...and types_ 31/14/3 _and presses send._

 

A few days later:

**ÉLISE’S OFFICE AT THE CALAIS POLICE STATION**

 

_Élise sits at her computer. She looks quite ok again. The tapes on her cheek are gone but the cut is still visible._

_Philippe puts his head through the door._

 

PHILIPPE: Au revoir! Bon week-end!

 

ÉLISE ( _looking up)_ : Bon week-end!

 

_Philippe leaves._

_Élise starts to shut down her computer as well._

 

**PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF THE CALAIS POLICE STATION**

 

_Élise walks towards her car, her backpack slung over one shoulder. She gets into her car, throwing her backpack on the passenger seat. She drives off._

 

**AUTOROUTE A16, EAST OF DUNKIRK, DUSK**

 

_Élise drives on the motorway through a flat landscape. A few patches of snow here and there on the surrounding fields. At the side of the road is a road sign with the European flag on it with BELGIË written in the middle of the circle of stars. About 200 meters behind that a sign with information about the speed limits that apply on Belgian roads._

 

_(I’m hoping for the best here and assume that there are no extraordinary border controls deemed necessary at the French borders again in January 2017...)_

 

Later:

**PARKING AREA OF THE MOTORWAY STATION WETTEREN AT THE A10, NEAR GHENT**

 

_It's completely dark by now. In the background we see an illuminated building with a fast-food restaurant and a petrol station._

_Cars coming and going. People walking from and towards the restaurant._

 

_Élise parks her car pretty far away from the building and from the next streetlamp, so it's pretty dark outside._

 

**INSIDE ÉLISE’S CAR**

 

_Élise remains seated in her car and waits._

_A soft knock on her window startles her. She looks up. A dark figure is standing outside, wearing a dark raincoat with a hood, unrecognisable in the dark._

_Élise reluctantly starts to open her window. As soon as there is a little slit a little note is slid in and flutters down into Élise’s lap. The dark person walks on._

 

_Élise reluctantly takes up the note and reads it._

 

**OUTSIDE OF ÉLISE’S CAR, THE PARKING AREA**

 

_Élise gets out of the car and puts her backpack on her back. She locks her car. She starts to walk towards the restaurant first reluctantly then more and more determined._

 

**INSIDE THE SERVICE STATION**

 

_Élise walks over to the stairs that lead down towards the toilets._

 

**CORRIDOR IN FRONT OF THE TOILETS**

 

_At the end of the corridor there is an emergency exit. A sign on the door in Flemish, French and English. The English text reads:_

_EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY. ALARM WILL BE SET OFF, IF DOOR IS OPENED._

_The door stands ajar, a stone lying in the way to keep the door from closing._

_Élise waits until another woman has disappeared into the toilets and she's alone. She gets out through the emergency exit._

 

**BEHIND THE BUILDING**

 

_A group of trees and bushes starts straight behind the building. Élise shoves the stone in the door aside and closes the door behind herself. She walks in between the trees, down a little slope. She stumbles in the dark, almost slips down the slope on the muddy ground, just barely catching herself by gripping the branch of a tree._

 

**A COUNTRY ROAD**

 

_Élise comes out between the bushes. It’s dark, the next street lamp much further down the road. A car is parked at the side of the road. No other car or person anywhere to be seen._

_The car switches on its headlights. It's a grey mid-range car with French diplomatic licence plates. After a second of hesitation Élise walks over to the car. Hesitantly she opens the passenger’s door. The interior light is switched on automatically. Eryka is in in the driver’s seat, wearing a dark raincoat._

_Even though this can’t be totally unexpected, Élise freezes and just stares at her, somewhere between shock and mesmerisation._

 

ERYKA _(firmly, but pretty calm considering the situation_ ): Don’t stand there! Get in!

 

_Élise wakes up from her rigour, gets into the car and closes the door._

 

**INSIDE THE CAR**

 

_Eryka starts the car and sets off._

_Élise settles in her seat, putting down her backpack in the leg room, fastening the seat belt. She is not as thunderstruck as before, but still insecure and confused - about the whole situation and about actually seeing Eryka again. She looks over at her._

_Eryka has to keep her eyes on the road, but glances over at her at times. She seems a little more confident than Élise but still a little nervous to see Élise again as well._

_Anyway she is the one to try to lift the awkwardness. When their eyes meet she smiles at Élise encouragingly._

_Élise doesn’t smile back. She swallows._

 

ÉLISE ( _staring out of the front window, not looking at Eryka, not really a question but a statement, matter of factly_ ): Considering the… security measures… I take it, that you're still doing what you used to be doing…

 

ERYKA ( _after a pause)_ : Yes…

 

_Their eyes meet for a short moment when Eryka looks at Élise in between having to concentrate on the road. It’s Élise who looks away, staring out of the front window again even before Eryka’s eyes have to return to the road._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _after some time_ ): When you sent me your message… Did you expect that I had settled down with a job in accountants by now?

 

ÉLISE: No... ( _Pause_ ) No, not really…

 

_They drive in silence for some time._

 

ERYKA: You still sent it…

 

ÉLISE ( _after a short moment of hesitation, firmly_ ): Yes, yes, I did…

 

_She nods at Eryka affirmatively, finally a hint of a smile on her face. Eryka smiles back at her and nods as well. This is how things are and they will deal with it._

 

**THE LOBBY OF A SEEMINGLY PRETTY UPSCALE HOTEL**

 

_Eryka enters through the main entrance, Élise follows a half step behind her, her backpack on her back. They walk through the lobby. Eryka nods towards the receptionist who nods back, recognizing her as a guest, just acknowledging Élise as Eryka’s company with a short glance. They enter the lift._

 

**INSIDE THE LIFT**

 

_Élise and Eryka are alone in the lift. They stand across from each other, a lot of space between them. Eryka tries to get eye contact with Élise but Élise looks seemingly very interested at the illuminated display that changes with the floors. The silence is awkward. Eryka seems to be more bothered by this than Élise._

 

ERYKA: Um… We can just order some dinner or you can just freshen up and we can go down to the restaurant… ( _hastily_ ,  _rambling_ ) We don’t need to rush anything! That we go up to the room doesn't mean that I expect…

 

_While she says the last part, Élise finally looks at her and their eyes lock. After a second Élise hurriedly takes the two steps it takes to close the distance between them and kisses her, interrupting her in what she's about to say. Eryka kisses her back. Both visibly putting more than half a year of longing into this kiss._

_They stop for breath after some time. Their foreheads still touching, Élise’s fingers in Eryka’s hair, Eryka’s hand at Élise’s neck._

 

ÉLISE ( _whispering, almost contemptuous how Eryka could have said something this stupid_ ): Waiting 7 months, 3 weeks and 2 days isn’t fucking rushed!

 

_They start to kiss again. The screen fades to black._

 

**BED IN ERYKA’S HOTELROOM**

 

_Élise and Eryka calming down after having done their best to make up for lost time. (Imagine the camera angle and the position of the blanket to be chosen adequately for prime time TV.)_

_Eryka is lying on her back, her eyes closed, Élise nestled to her side, her head on Eryka’s chest. Eryka’s fingers are slowly playing with Élise’s hair. Élise is caressing the skin at Eryka's arm._

 

_After a while Élise slowly moves to the side. Eryka turns towards her. They're still close to each other, facing each other now._

 

_Eryka reaches out and her finger strokes over the healing cut under Élise’s eye._

 

ERYKA: What happened there?

 

ÉLISE: Nothing…

 

_She takes Eryka's hand away from the wound and puts it on her cheek instead. Her hand covering Eryka's._

_They continue to caress each other’s face and hair at times, while they talk._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d, _slightly but not very embarrassed_ ): I… um… I googled “Eryka Klein” once and looked up the name in our database at some point, actually… There is nothing after you disappeared…

 

ERYKA: She doesn’t exist anymore… The French and the British secret services let me get away, but they certainly didn’t erase the information about me from their databases. I can never appear with that name on western soil again without a thousand alarms going off. So I’m… someone else now.

 

ÉLISE: Why was that mobile number still active? I never seriously expected it to still work.

 

ERYKA: I knew it was the only possibility for you to contact me and I hoped that… ( _She looks at Élise._ ) I hoped!

( _After a pause)_ Very unprofessionally actually... It is entirely possible of course that someone is still tracking it…

 

ÉLISE: That was the reason for all these… security measures…

 

ERYKA: Yes… I had the number disguised and used an encrypted phone, but your phone wasn't protected of course, so...

 _(After a pause)_ We’ll have to make some arrangements how this can work. How we are going to do this… ( _pause_ ) If we want this to be more than just a one time thing, that is…? _(She looks questioning at Élise.)_

 

ÉLISE _(with no hesitation)_ : I do...

 

_Eryka nods._

 

_They kiss. Élise breaks the kiss after just a second._

 

ÉLISE _(firmly)_ : You must never lie to me again!

 

ERYKA: I won't! I’ll tell you at times that I can't talk about certain things… But I won’t lie!

 

ÉLISE _(nodding_ ): OK ( _After a pause, matter of factly, hastily. For her standards this is almost a declaration of love - something she needs to say, but she’s not very comfortable saying and she’s happy to get it over with_ ) I’m glad, you kept that phone number working!

 

ERYKA ( _significantly more affectionate than Élise’s statement_ ): I’m so glad you used it!

 

_They kiss again, not interrupting early this time._

 

ÉLISE: Do you remember… Before you left for... Hamburg… you said that after you came back you wanted to know what I thought about the book you gave me…?

 

ERYKA: I remember… We never got the chance… _(after a pause)_ What did you think of it?

 

_Élise smiles._

 

Later:

**STILL THE BED IN ERYKA’S ROOM**

 

_Soundtrack over a inaudible conversation._

_Élise and Eryka dressed in their night clothes by now. Eryka sitting leaned against the headboard, Élise cross-legged in front of her on the bed. Chatting animatedly._

_At some point, while Eryka is talking, Élise’s concentration visibly drifts away from what she’s saying, instead just watching her, mesmerised that they are really here together again._

_Eryka stops talking, smiling at her a little amusedly. Élise comes back to reality and smiles back at Eryka, slightly embarrassed but happy anyway. She reaches out to Eryka’s hand and intertwines their fingers._

 

_The screen fades to black._

  
_tbc_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think!


	8. How to Date a Spy 101

**CLOSE-UP OF A TABLE WITH A TRAY ON IT**

 

_On the tray among other things an elegant silver cover under which the food is kept warm. A hand appears in the picture and lifts the cover, below it (in sharp contrast to the otherwise very sophisticatedly elegant appearance of all of this) a bowl with chips and a bottle of tabasco._

 

Cut to the broader angle:

**THE SITTING AREA IN ÉLISE’S AND ERYKA’S HOTEL ROOM**

 

_A small, round coffee table with the tray on it, two armchairs, the ruffled bed visible in the background._

_Élise with still wet, ruffled hair, wearing leisure trousers and a T-shirt, is sitting in one of the arm chairs. It was her hand that lifted up the silver cover. She puts it to the side and takes the bottle of tabasco and the bowl of chips. She draws her legs up in front of her and puts the bowl on her knees holding it with one hand while she shakes an enormous amount of tabasco over her chips._

_Eryka is sitting in the opposite arm chair. She sips from a coffeemug, observing Élise, apparently not familiar yet with Élise’s culinary oddities, but more lovingly fascinated than disgusted._

_Élise puts the tabasco back on the table, draws her legs up again, places the bowl on her knees again and starts eating._

 

ERYKA: Are you going to breathe fire after that?

 

ÉLISE ( _surprised, not getting the joke_ ): No…

 

 _Eryka smiles_.

 

ÉLISE ( _chewing on her chips_ ): So… How is this going to work?

 

ERYKA: Well, as you can imagine there are people out there who would love to find out where Eryka Klein ended up: Several secret services, I assume,...

 

Cut to:

**A PRISON CELL**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): ...but - even more unpleasant - other less official parties who would love to get their hands on me.

 

_Artem Baturin sitting in his cell looking very grumpy and avid for revenge._

 

Cut back to:

**THE HOTEL ROOM**

 

ERYKA (cont’d): All of these people are trying to find a link between Eryka Klein and the person I am today and we should avoid at all costs that you are going to become such a link.

If any of the parties in question know, that there was something going on between us back then, they will figure that I still hold a certain fondness for you and that we still might be in touch or got in touch again. And in that case they will start surveilling you, hoping that you will lead them to me.

 

Cut to:

**STREET IN FRONT OF ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): They will watch you. They will monitor your phone and your emails.

 

_A sinister looking guy is sitting in a car, watching the entrance of Élise’s house from some distance._

 

Cut to:

**A COFFEESHOP**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): They’ll try to make contact with your acquaintances to find out if your behaviour in any a way suggests you’re still seeing me or have started to see me again.

 

_Philippe gets a coffee-to-go. A strikingly attractive woman collides with him on the way out, the coffee ending up on his shirt. The woman apologises very committedly and starts to eagerly dry the coffee from his shirt with a napkin. Philippe eyes her up interestedly and seems to like what he sees._

 

Cut back to:

**THE HOTEL ROOM**

 

ERYKA: I’ve got no idea if the people who might be searching for me really do know about our relationship back then. Consequently I don’t know if they really will try to find me by monitoring you, but since we can’t be sure, we have to start from the premise that they do and take all the according security measures.

 

Cut to:

**A COMPUTER MONITOR**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): If they are surveilling you they will monitor your phone calls and your emails.

 

 _Someone typing on the keyboard in front of the monitor. On the monitor appears the logo of SFR in the upper right corner. The fingers type some more and the customer data of_ Wassermann, Élise _appear on the screen. Some more typing and a long list of Élise’s outgoing and incoming calls appears on the screen._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): So to arrange our meetings you will use a special tap-proof smart phone that I will provide you with.

 

**THE STALL OF A PUBLIC TOILETTE**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): When we need to get in touch when you’re not at home, you will keep that phone unseeable close to you...

 

_Élise gets into the stall, locks the door and lifts her shirt. She wears a travel money belt. She takes a small mobile phone out of it and checks for messages._

 

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Élise gets a screwdriver out of her kitchen drawer and kneels down at the wall beside her bed._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): ...at home you will hide it at a safe place and only get it out to check for messages.

 

_Élise takes off a piece of the base board. Behind it is a cavity. Élise takes the phone out of it and gets up. She switches it on. It beeps twice._

 

Cut to:

**CLOSE-UP OF THE DISPLAY OF THE PHONE**

 

 _The display reads:_ 1 new message(s)

 

_Élise’s thumb presses a button. A series of numbers grouped in groups of three, like we have seen before, appears._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): Even if it’s supposed to be tap-proof you never know if the other side’s technicians haven't caught up with our technology yet.

 

Cut back to the broader angle:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): So we should still use it as cautious as possible. We still need to encrypt the messages in the way you already know. We will agree on a different book each time we meet, so no one will know the key.

 

_Élise gets over to her book shelf (the new one that caught Karl’s attention) and gets[a book](https://www.amazon.fr/si%C3%A8cle-grandes-aventures-Entre-rouge/dp/2330064500/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1472118723&sr=1-1&keywords=entre+rouge+et+noir) out. _

_She sits down cross legged on the floor in front of her sofa and starts to turn the pages of the book, letting her finger wander across the pages of the book._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): We have to delete the messages as soon as we have read them to make sure no one finds them in hindsight.

 

Cut to:

**CLOSE-UP OF THE DISPLAY OF THE PHONE**

 

 _We see Élise’s thumb pressing the delete button. The question_ Are you sure you want to delete this message(s)? _appears. Élise presses_ Yes _._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ):The longer the connection is kept the higher the chances that someone can track the phone. So no calls! We will stick to messages, that only need a second of a connection to be transferred. We will limit our communication to a minimum. We will just use the phone to arrange the dates of our meetings, we are not going to send sweet nothings to each other…

 

Cut back to:

**THE HOTEL ROOM**

 

_Élise still sitting in her armchair and eagerly chewing on her chips. She snorts._

 

ÉLISE ( _almost contemptuous_ ): Oh don’t worry. I can assure you, I’m not one for that anyway.

 

Cut back to:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Elise still holds her phone, staring at the blank display for a few seconds. Then she begins to turn the pages of the book again._

 

**CLOSE-UP OF THE PAGE OF THE BOOK**

 

_We see Élise’s finger run down the lines and along the words of the line. She stops under “P.S.”._

 

Cut back to the broader angle:

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_Élise types something on her phone._

 

Cut back to:

**CLOSE-UP OF THE PAGE OF THE BOOK**

 

_Again we see Élise’s finger run across the page of the book. She stops at “Tu”. She turns a few pages. Again her finger wanders and ends under “Me”. After turning a few pages her finger ends under “manques”._

 

Subtitles: P.S. I miss you

 

Cut back to:

**THE HOTEL ROOM**

 

ERYKA: When you come to see me, you must not leave any traces of where you are going.

 

Cut to:

**THE CASH REGISTER OF A PETROL STATION**

 

_Élise fishes some Euro notes and several coins out of her wallet and hands it to the clerk._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): You can't pay with cards on your trip. If you travel by train, you can't buy your ticket online, where it can be connected to your name.

 

**STREET IN FRONT OF ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): From now on, you will always have to pay attention, if something feels strange to you, if someone might be watching or following you…

 

_Morning light, Élise gets out of the house, her backpack over her shoulder. She spots the man we saw sitting in the car in front of her house before. He’s standing at the quay about a hundred meter away from her house and looks in her direction. She watches him suspiciously while she hesitantly walks towards her car._

 

**ÉLISE’S FLAT**

 

_The door opens Élise gets into her flat, puts her backpack down and starts to take off her jacket, when her eyes get caught by the curtains in front of her window. They are drawn open halfway._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): ...or if something feels different in your flat when you come home, that might indicate that someone has been there while you were gone.

 

_Élise walks over to the window and closes the curtains then stands there for a moment frowning. She opens it again and strokes over the rims of her balcony door to check for scratches as a sign of a break in._

 

**INSIDE OF ÈLISE’S CAR**

 

_We see Élise on a motorway access looking into her rearview mirror. A dark green car is behind her._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): Especially on the way when you come and see me you have to make sure that no one is following you.

 

_When Élise changes motorways on a motorway intersection, again she sees the same car in the rear view mirror. She frowns._

_Of the three lanes of the motorway she chooses the one furthest to the left and speeds up. The car still keeps behind her. She looks up._

 

Cut to:

**A SIGN AT THE SIDE OF THE MOTORWAY...**

 

_...pointing out the next motorway exit._

 

Cut back to:

**ÉLISE’S CAR**

 

_Élise keeps on the left lane in high speed. Without indicating she suddenly moves over two lanes, just barely making the exit. Some other cars honk. The dark green car succeeds to change to the middle lane but then a truck on the right lane blocks its way. It doesn’t make the exit and has to stay on the motorway. Élise smiles contently._

 

Cut back to:

**THE HOTEL ROOM**

 

_Eryka looks at Élise seriously._

 

ERYKA (c _aringly_ ): Be on your guard, Élise, but don't get paranoid! It happens very easily. You’ll start to see irregularities where there are none.

People you keep seeing in front of your house might just regularly collect their girlfriend who lives next door. A car that seems to be following you might just have the same destination you have.

You have to learn to assess the differences between the coincidences and the real abnormalities. Don't let suspicion take over your life. Be on your guard, but don't get crazy!

 

_Élise nods._

 

ÉLISE: Ok...

 

**A RECEPTION OF A HIGH-TONED HOTEL**

 

ERYKA ( _voiceover_ ) When we meet, we have to fly under the radar. Those people have their ears and eyes in all kinds of places, registering all kinds of information they might be interested in.

 

_Eryka fills in some papers for check-in. Élise stands in the background waiting for her. Eryka hands the papers to the receptionists, nods to him once more, before she and Élise start to walk towards the lift._

_The receptionist looks at the papers Eryka just filled in. He looks up, looking after them suspiciously. Then he takes out his phone to call someone._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): We’ll avoid the known diplomats’ hotspots, where chances are highest that they might have placed informants, but we still need to stick to big cities and hotels where we can vanish in the crowd.

 

**A BOOTH AT THE BACK OF A BAR**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): We can’t stick out.

 

_Élise and Eryka are sitting across the corner at a table. What they’re saying is muted behind Eryka’s voiceover. Élise shifts a little closer to Eryka and takes her hand on the table. Eryka smiles at her. She leans towards her and says something to her, slightly shaking her head. Élise gets even closer and answers something (“Oh, come on!”) leaning her head to Eryka’s shoulder. Eryka is still mainly amused but carefully shoves her away now._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): As much as I like the thought of making same sex couples more visible in public, as long as seeing two women kiss each other is something that might stick in people’s mind, we’ll have to leave it to others to advance that cause.

 

_Élise doesn’t seem to care and leans in once more, putting her hand to Erykas neck and leans in to kiss her. Eryka kisses her back for a second, before she carefully but firmly pushes her away again, again saying something to her, more serious now._

_Élise gives up and leans back in her chair, but is still smiling at Eryka conspiratorially. It’s apparent now that she’s slightly tipsy, still not used to drinking very much._

_Eryka takes the half empty wine glass standing in front of Élise. She finishes it off herself and refills it with water from a bottle standing on the table. Élise grins at her._

 

Cut to:

**ÉLISE’S CAR**

 

_Élise is driving on a busy motorway. She looks up._

 

Cut to:

 

**A SIGN AT THE SIDE OF THE MOTORWAY...**

 

_...indicating the motorway exit to Antwerp._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): We will meet at different places every time so no one realises that there is a regularity.

 

Several cuts, increasingly getting faster, to:

**MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS SIGNS TO MANY DIFFERENT CITIES IN WESTERN EUROPE**

 

_There is a  focus on the Benelux countries but also London and some cities in the west of Germany and in France appear._

 

Cut back to:

**THE HOTEL ROOM**

 

ERYKA: You can never tell anyone about us. No one can even become aware that your behaviour has changed in any way

 

**EXTERIOR VIEW OF THE CALAIS POLICE STATION**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): Even if your friends and colleagues do not deliberately want to betray you,...

 

_We see Élise and Philippe leave the police station together, walking down the stairs in front of the entrance, talking to each other. They wave their goodbyes and Élise walks towards her car. The woman who Philippe met earlier in the coffee shop is waiting for him, leaned against a car. Philippe and the woman greet in an obviously more than friendly way. The woman nods over towards Élise who is just getting into her car and asks Philippe something._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): ...they might unknowingly pass on information, that doesn’t seem relevant to them at all, but that might be very useful to other people who know how to interpret them.

 

_Philippe starts grinning and starts talking while they get into their car. On the way home he might tell his new girlfriend some stories about his weird but brilliant colleague  - who is a lot more cheerful recently and has actually started to take days off at times, which she has never done before…_

 

Cut to:

**A CONFERENCE ROOM AT THE CALAIS POLICE STATION**

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): I don’t think I need to tell you, that it’s definitely in both of our interests that no one finds out about this. Even if I’m not officially wanted for anything in France anymore…

 

_A conference table. Philippe, Louise and some other colleagues sitting around it. The conversations muted behind Eryka’s voiceover. Élise is standing in the front, outlining the current state of an investigation, pointing at several photographs and sketches at a board behind her. She seems confident and professional, her subordinates listening attentively to her presentation._

_She points at some of her subordinates, apparently assigning tasks to them._

 

ERYKA (cont’d, _voiceover_ ): ...there are enough people who know about my involvement, especially in your department. So even if you might not be obligated to arrest me as soon as you know where I am, I hardly think it will exactly help your career and reputation if it got known that you have started to see me again.

 

_One of the others has something to add to the discussion. While Élise listens to what he has to say, her gaze wanders towards her backpack that’s standing beside her chair at the table. The zipper is open and a book is half visible. She smiles dreamily when she sees it and doesn’t seem to listen to the person talking anymore._

 

Cut back to:

**THE HOTEL ROOM**

 

ERYKA (cont’d): I have many unofficial missions that I fit into the schedule of my official work-related travel. I can cover up our meetings in the same way. No one will realise if I stay a day longer than I need to. You also need to find a cover story for the days you come and see me. Some friends or family you’re visiting… Whatever…

 

ÉLISE ( _ironically_ ): A grandmother in Hamburg…?

 

ERYKA ( _not reacting to the remark_ ): For example... Just something you can tell people where you are when you’re out of town.

 

ÉLISE ( _not sad, just stating a fact_ ): I don’t have friends that I’d be visiting. I am not very close to my family. I hardly ever go and see them.

 

_Eryka looks at Élise thoughtfully. Even if Élise might have told her about her difficulties to get close to people during the conversations they had, when they got to know each other, Eryka probably wasn’t aware just how alone she is._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d): I think people would get suspicious, if I suddenly started to tell stories about meeting friends and family. And even if I did come up with a story: I’m a terrible liar. No one will believe a word I say.

 

ERYKA: But you need to come up with something...

 

ÉLISE ( _pondering_ ): Actually I don’t really think I do.

I don’t have anyone who is as close to me, that he would realise when I’m gone for my days off.

My colleagues know I don’t do much else but work, so no one expects me to have anything to tell about my weekends and I hardly ever talk about private stuff in general, so everybody knows there is no real point in asking me about any of that anyway.

If no one ever asks me, I don’t have to think about what I might answer.

 

ERYKA ( _hesitating_ ): Ok…

 

ÉLISE: I think we should find days for our meetings where I’m not on duty, though… It’s a notorious joke that I have to be forced to take vacation. I suppose it would raise suspicion, if I suddenly start to spontaneously take time off.

 

ERYKA: Ok… You should send me your rota then… I’ll try to arrange my schedule around it, whenever that’s possible.

 

_Élise nods._

_Eryka takes a piece of paper from the table_

 

ERYKA (cont’d): These are three different phone numbers you can use to contact me and that I will send messages from. There is also an email address you can sent your duty rota to.

 

_She hands the paper to Élise._

 

ERYKA (cont’d): Never contact any of these numbers or addresses from any other phone or computer than the one I gave you.

You also mustn’t save these anywhere or keep them written down. You have to remember them.

 

_Élise looks at the paper for a few moments and hands it back to Eryka._

 

ERYKA (cont’d _, wanting to hand the note back to Élise_ ): You need to memorize those!

 

ÉLISE: I did...

 

_Eryka still holds her hand with the paper stretched out to Élise and looks at her surprised for a few moments. Then she leans back again and smiles at Élise._

 

ERYKA: Oh, you’re going to be incredibly good at this…

 

_Élise smiles back at her, very content with herself._

 

ÈLISE: Yes, I think so, too.

 

\--------

 

**AN UNDERGROUND CAR PARK**

 

_Almost all parkings spaces are occupied. In the background a lift door opens. Élise and Eryka get out. Eryka pulling a trolley case, Élise with her backpack on her back. They walk closely side-by-side but without touching each other._

_The car Eryka collected Élise with is parked in a parking spot to the right hand side. Eryka walks towards it, while Élise suddenly stops in her track and stares at her Porsche that’s parked diagonally opposite of Eryka’s car._

 

ÉLISE: How did my car get here?

 

ERYKA ( _casually_ ): Some of my associates checked it for tracking devices and then brought it here.

 

_Élise hastily rummages the pockets of her jacket and fishes out her keys._

 

ÉLISE: They didn’t have the key.

 

ERYKA _(unimpressed_ ): They don’t need one…

 

_Élise still stands there rooted to her spot, while Eryka opens the trunk of her car. She turns around to Élise._

 

ERYKA: They didn’t find anything, by the way… I think chances are good, that no one knows about our encounter.

 

_Élise reluctantly walks over to her car. She slowly opens the driver’s door and throws her backpack over to the passenger seat. She looks over at Eryka who is putting her trolley case into the boot of her car. Élise takes some steps towards Eryka again and finally stops a few steps away from Eryka’s car. Her eyes settle on Eryka’s licence plate._

_Eryka closes the bootlid and turns around to Élise. She sees what Élise is looking at._

 

ERYKA: That's not my usual car…

 

She gets close to Élise and caresses her face.

 

ERYKA ( _softly, insistently_ ): Élise, you can't run my license plate through your database or do any other background checks on me!

I can understand that you're curious, but if you feel you really need to know more about me, ask me! And if it's important to you, I'll tell you. But please, don't try to find out stuff on your own! It's dangerous! For me and for you! Please! Don't!

 

ÉLISE: Ok...

 

_She runs her fingers through Eryka’s hair._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d): Where do you live now?

 

ERYKA ( _after a second of hesitation_ ): Everything you know can draw unwanted attention towards you, Élise. Are you sure you really NEED to know?

 

ÉLISE ( _after visibly fighting an internal fight with herself): No…_

 

_Eryka acknowledges that with a slight smile._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d): What’s your name now? Who are you working for?

 

ERYKA ( _softly_ ): Do you really want to know...?

 

ÉLISE: Yes, I definitely want to. But I know, I probably shouldn’t.

 

_She musingly looks Eryka into the eyes for some time._

 

ÉLISE (cont’d, _without breaking eye contact_ ): Do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend in your other life?

 

_Eryka doesn’t avoid her eyes, but she hesitates with the answer for some time._

 

ERYKA ( _seriously_ ): Do you need to know?

 

_Élise hesitates even longer with her answer this time._

 

ÉLISE: No…

 

_Eryka nods at her slightly. She hugs Élise. Élise hugs her back._

 

ERYKA ( _softly, close to Élise’s ear_ ): My other life isn’t real, Élise! It’s an assignment and everything in that life is just a part of that. Nothing there is real. THIS is real. Me here with you is real.

 

_They hold each other tightly for a long time. The sterile and functional atmosphere of the car park in sharp contrast with their affectionate farewell. Finally Eryka’s lips find Élise’s and they kiss tenderly._

 

_The screen fades to black._

 

_\--------_

 

Cut back to:

**EUROTUNNEL SHUTTLE TRAIN, INSIDE ÉLISE’S CAR**

 

_Karl and Élise are still sitting in the car like before._

 

ÉLISE: No… No, I really shouldn’t tell you that…

 

tbc

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always:  
> Thanks for reading!  
> Please let me know, what you think!


	9. Learning to Lie

**Cut back to:**

**EUROTUNNEL SHUTTLE TRAIN, INSIDE ÉLISE’S CAR**

_Karl and Élise are still sitting in the car like before._

ÉLISE: No… No, I really shouldn’t tell you that…

KARL: No, you’re right. You probably shouldn’t. ( _After a pause_ ) And I’ll certainly sleep calmer, if I don’t get any more details. I feel uncomfortable enough to know at all.

 

ÉLISE: YOU put me through the mill. It's not that I wanted to tell you…

 

KARL: Élise, I knew anyway… It was obvious! I just wanted to make sure you didn’t put yourself in a stupidly dangerous situation!

 

ÉLISE: And do you think I did?

 

KARL: No… As far as Eryka is concerned at least… But you’ll end up in terrible mess if somebody else but me makes sense of your new books and your sudden tendency to regularly leave town for a few days.

 

ÉLISE ( _half talking to herself_ ): I forgot you actually...

 

KARL _(confused_ ): You forgot me?

 

ÉLISE: Yes. I decided that I didn’t need a cover story, because no one's close enough to me to realise that something in my life has changed.

But the minute you appear in my life again, my new bookshelf catches your attention…

 

KARL: You do need a cover story, Élise! Even if you have no friends, your colleagues might still call you on your days off about something work related and wonder where you ended up. People are actually already talking about the vacation days you’re taking!

 

ÉLISE: What am I supposed to tell them? I really don’t have anyone who I could plausibly pretend to visit regularly.

 

KARL: You’ve got me...

 

ÉLISE (hesitantly): Ok…. But you know I’m horribly bad at lying...

 

KARL: Then you need to get better at it! If you didn’t see the point in it before you certainly do now, don’t you?

 

_Élise nods hesitantly._

 

KARL (cont’d): Come on practise! Imagine I’m Philippe. “What are you going to do on the weekend, Élise?”

 

ÉLISE (s _eriously_ ): I suppose Phillippe would ask me that in French…

 

KARL: Oh, yeah… Right…. Qu'est-ce que... tu…. Qu'est-ce que tu…

 

ÉLISE ( _helping him):_ Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire en week-end?

 

KARL _(repeating after her)_ : Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire en week-end?

 

ÉLISE ( _looking like a kid that just got caught with the hand in the cookie-jar_ ): Je vais aller voir Karl en Angleterre.

 

KARL: Oh, come on, Élise! You look like the twins when they get caught with the hand in the cookie-jar! If people didn't suspect anything up to now, now they certainly will! Go again!

 

ÉLISE ( _just slightly better_ ): Je vais aller voir Karl en Angleterre!

 

KARL: God, Élise, imagine you're really going to do it, when you say it. Imagine you're really going to see us tomorrow. Imagine the prospect of getting food that has not been seasoned by a fire breathing dragon. Imagine being scared already that Hannah and Maya are going to ask you again if they may braid your hair. Imagine to have to pretend to not be constantly annoyed by Brian wanting to be ruffled. And imagine to secretly looking forward to having us around you anyway…

 

_Élise closes her eyes for a few seconds. Then:_

 

ÉLISE: Je vais aller voir Karl en Angleterre!

 

**Cut to:**

**EXTERIOR OF THE EUROTUNNEL SHUTTLE TRAIN**

 

_The train is just leaving the tunnel on the British side. Élise’s and Karl’s journey is almost over. We still hear their conversation._

 

KARL: Better! I actually believe you! But it still sounds like it's a very big deal… More casual. Kent is not that spectacular, is it?

 

ÉLISE: Je vais aller voir Karl en Angleterre!

 

KARL: Yes, good… Very good… Now we’re actually getting somewhere…

 

_The screen fades to black._

  
**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who left kudos and commented! You made my day!
> 
> This is just the end of the story of how Karl finds out about Élise seeing Eryka again, but it’s not the end of this scenario in general. A follow-up story to this one is already in the making (which is part of the reason why this last chapter took so long: I was spending to much time on writing on the next one.)  
> I hope the first chapter will be ready to be posted soon.  
> The best possibility to keep me motivated to keep writing and get it ready soon is of course to leave many kudos and enthusiastic comments for me... :-)
> 
> Update: The sequel is available now. It's called "Everything's Easier to Handle When It's Sugar-Coated". If you liked this story, you might like that one as well.
> 
> \----------------
> 
> To the people who commented in the previous chapter, that they expect something bad to happen soon: I hope you aren’t disappointed that there was no big showdown in this chapter. 
> 
> It's supposed to be kept open, if there really are people on their heels or not.
> 
> These scenes in chapter 8 could just illustrate what the things Eryka is talking about would look like. They don't necessarily need to happen that way… But of course they could…
> 
> And even if they did happen like this: Maybe Philippe just happened to meet a new girlfriend at the coffee shop that likes to hear stories about his eccentric colleague. The guy in the car might just collect his grilfriend. And Élise might just remember wrong that she closed the curtains when she left (ok, unlikely, since this is Élise, but you get the point...).  
> It might all just be the coincidence Élise needs to learn to distinguish from the real abnormalities… Or maybe it isn’t...
> 
> And even if someone really is monitoring Élise, Élise and Eryka anticipate that. That's exactly why they're using a tap proof phone and why Élise isn't supposed to use credit cards: If their security measures work they shouldn't get caught despite being watched.  
> But maybe their security measures aren’t enough on the long run...
> 
> Your worries kind of were exactly what I wanted to accomplish with that chapter: The atmosphere these scenes are creating for you when you're reading them is supposed to be the same atmosphere Élise is living with now: she doesn't know if there actually IS someone lurking for her, but she’s constantly living with the feeling that there is...


End file.
